BRICS Summit 2026: Amid war and rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia, India has once again signaled its balanced foreign policy. BRICS Iranian President Massoud Pajeshkia, who arrived at the summit’s business forum, thanked India for supporting him in difficult times. Rather than looking at this incident only as India-Iran friendship, it has India’s deeper strategic, energy and trade interests behind it.

The need for alternative trade and energy routes for India is growing amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. On one hand, New Delhi is maintaining relations with Iran, on the other hand, it is advancing its strategic relations with UAE, Saudi Arabia, America and Israel. India’s message is clear. Relations will remain with all, but the decision will be based on national interest.

Second Modi-Pajeshkian meeting in 12 days

Prime Minister Narendra Modi And Iran’s President Masoud Pajeshkian has recorded a second meeting in a span of just 12 days. The two leaders met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 31 and then Pejeshkian arrived in Delhi on September 11.

This is Pajeshkian’s first visit to India since the outbreak of war in West Asia. Also, even after becoming the President, he has come to India for the first time. After Hassan Rouhani’s visit in 2018, an Iranian president has reached Delhi after a long time.

With this continuous dialogue, India is signaling that despite international pressure, it is not ready to close the door to dialogue with Iran.

Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia on the same platform of BRICS

The BRICS summit also saw an interesting diplomatic picture. Along with Iran, important West Asian countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia were also present on the same platform.

Although these countries’ approaches to regional issues and West Asian conflicts are not entirely the same, India is actively maintaining dialogue with all three.

This balance is extremely important for India, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the country’s major energy, trade and investment partners, while Iran is of strategic importance to India in terms of the Chabahar port and access to Central Asia.

Iran’s push to reduce dependence on dollar through BRICS

Before coming to India, Pajeshkian said that the world is going through challenges like geopolitical conflict, supply chain disruption and political pressure through economic instruments.

He emphasized the need for alternative payment system and increased economic cooperation among the BRICS countries. Iran wants to gradually reduce its dependence on the US dollar for trade between member countries.

Pajeshkian also mentioned the need to increase investment in member countries by the BRICS Bank.

Chabahar: India’s strategic route bypassing Pakistan

Chabahar Port is one of the most important issues in India-Iran relations. It is not just a port for India, but a strategic gateway to reach Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia and further Europe, bypassing Pakistan.

Cargo can be transported from Mumbai to Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti Terminal by sea. From there, connectivity with Central Asian countries like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan can be developed through Iran’s road and rail network.

Next is the route from Iran’s Bandar-e-Anjali across the Caspian Sea to Russia’s Astrakhan.

The 7,200 km INSTC could be a game changer

The approximately 7,200 km long International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal trade route of sea, road and rail connecting India, Iran and Russia.

Through this network, India can quickly deliver goods to major commercial centers like Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. Further rail and road connectivity to various European markets is also available.

According to various estimates, if the INSTC operates at full capacity, the transport time and cost can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional route.

10-year agreement between India-Iran for Chabahar

In May 2024, India and Iran signed a 10-year agreement to operate Chabahar’s Shahid Beheshti Terminal.

India also provided investment and credit support for port development. However, due to the war in West Asia and the sanctions on Iran, the biggest challenge for India is to protect its investment and maintain continuous cargo traffic from Chabahar.

Oil and gas is also a big issue of Indo-Iran debate

Iran is one of the major oil and gas producing countries in the world. For India, if the purchase of crude oil and LPG from Iran increases again, there will be an opportunity to diversify the energy supply.

But international sanctions on Iran and difficulties related to payment-shipping are the biggest obstacles to this trade.

The issue of energy security for India becomes more critical as tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz, as the area is crucial for large volumes of crude oil and LNG coming from the Gulf region.

Gwadar versus Chabahar: The Strategic Mathematics of India-Iran and China-Pakistan

Chabahar is often compared to the port of Gwadar in Pakistan.

Gwadar is an important part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC and gives China access to the Arabian Sea. Chabahar, on the other hand, gives India access to Iran and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.

Thus two different strategic models are seen in the same region of the Arabian Sea—the Sino-Pakistani Gwadar on the one hand and the Indo-Iranian Chabahar on the other.

Relations with Iran, but not India in the same camp

India’s policy is not just focused on Iran. India’s trade, investment and energy ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia are extremely strong. There is a defense and technology partnership with the US, while Israel also has long-standing cooperation in agriculture, technology and security.

In such a situation, amid the tension in West Asia, India is adopting a policy of maintaining relations with each party based on its own interests instead of standing openly in one camp.